still broke; sometimes knitting

Day: July 27, 2006

do not go well together. Especially when it is 90 degrees or so outside. I spent a fruitless couple of hours in my not-so-favorite LYS thumbing through pattern books and fondling the yummy yarn — I obviously can’t afford the 35 or so skeins necessary to make actual garments. Eventually I left with some needles and nothing else … such restraint.

In an attempt to calm down from all that coffee, I started the "class sock" from Sensational Socks. So far, so good. The cheap-o Patons yarn from Michael’s is working out surprisingly well. I bought some #0 circulars and ordered Cat Bordhi’s book to attempt the two circulars sock method, but figured I should try to get through a practice sock first.

I’m in such a panic about my impending exams that I’ll do just about anything to avoid my reading. Hence the unnecessary trip to the store … which got me near, but not actually on, campus. I just daydream over Rowan and Rebecca, imagining the life photographed so flawlessly and promised with each completed sweater. I mean, I know that finishing a sweater isn’t going to make me a better person or that as soon as I put on said sweater, my troubles will not magically disappear. But I keep on dreaming. If only everything could be so perfect …

So, I haven’t done much interesting knitting. I’m kind of in panic-mode over my up-coming exams (in October) and have attempted to channel this energy into knitting — or at least buying stuff related to knitting. I got a rather spiffy pattern from WEBS: marianas top down sweater, "designed to delight". Sounds good to me. It’s intended for this lovely Rowan yorkshire tweed chunky that’s been sitting around my house:

It’s already been knit into three different sweaters and frogged each time … perhaps it’s just begging for the nautical themed pullover. Unlikely.

(flaming)

The yarn was just so flipping expensive that I feel I have to really, really, REALLY want to wear the finished product. I guess I’ve kind of figured by now that nothing will meet these exacting (and mysterious) standards; I should just get it over with and knit something.

Which is exactly what I’m doing with my lovely Rowan handknit cotton:

It’s color "chime" — why it’s called that I don’t know — a very mellow blue.

It started life as a free-form cardigan for my sister, but has morphed into bad penny (by Stephanie Japel, in knitty), quite without my realizing it. The yoke is almost done — just a few more inches to go. The yarn is the thinnest I’ve used for something this large; the gauge is something like 5 sts = 1" using #5 needles. I’m usually all for the instant gratification of chunky yarn and big needles (which does, however, lead to the inevitable: "Oh-my-God-I’ll-never-be-able-to-wear-anything-this-chunky-without-looking-like-an-elephant" hesitation), but I’m liking the smaller needles and finer yarn so far.

I think I might keep it; I had another project in mind for the sister anyway. And what does she need a cardigan for in California?